Day 10: Melbourne to Forbes

Our longest day on the road. We have now travelled over 3000km to this point. We are still amazed that after and hour on the road, we were still technically in the Melbourne region. We set off early for our trip to the Big 4 in Forbes. 724km later we were there and Elijah (bless his heart) offered to pay for the boys to hire these buggies. We cooked a BBQ and had an early night before we have our shortest trip tomorrow to Dubbo.

I don't think this is the main street of Forbes. Sorry Forbes, wasn't clear where the main centre of town was.

Day 6 - 9: Melbourne

Time for a little rest on the journey. Christmas Day with our old friends the Careys. We have known them since our Mackay days and we were extremely delighted and appreciative to have a place to stay over Christmas. Christmas Day was a smorgasboard of prawns, mussels, salmon, pork, beef, four or five desserts and a couple of homebrews and red wine. Thanks to the Careys for the spread, friendship and some new memories.

Bec and Belinda. Old friends from College days and the 2 best English teachers I have ever had!

Headed down to trendy St Kilda and caught up with one of my ex-students Dave Williams. While being in the Territory for 4 years, for us to both travel 40 minutes to meet up in the middle of Melbourne was crazy, but well worth it. I am not sure we are city people anymore, but are becoming more thankful to the GPS for helping us around the place. Having just done a tick under 2000km so far, we have not yet got sick of listening to directions from Homer Simpson.

We still look like a happy couple. Photo by Joseph.

Day 6: Port Fairy to Melbourne via The Great Ocean Road

This day has been the highlight of the trip. Only around 400km for the day, but we couldn't help ourselves and kept stopping to view the magnificent coastline. And talking about spontaneity, we decided to take the boys up in a helicopter to view the Twelve Apostles. Amazing and breathtaking. The boys loved it and  the photos do not do this trip any justice. We have video as well of the chopper flight and it is just spectacular. I have watched it twice already. The travellers and the car didn't know what hit it with the winding roads. Quite a contrast where we were fearful of falling asleep on the 100s of kilometres of straight roads to the tight corners and speeding traffic coming right at us. The little seaside towns along the way captured our attention and if it wasn't for being Christmas Eve, we might just have stayed somewhere along here.

Day 5: Adelaide to Port Fairy

After 2 nights in Adelaide it is off to Port Fairy, Victoria, some 589 km away. Heading into our third time zone for the trip is a little confusing and at least gives us something to try and explain to the boys why this happens. Port Fairy is a sleepy little place that comes alive over summer. Beautiful and peaceful, it has a rustic charm which the locals are very proud of. All the buildings are old and sometimes we wish we had extended our trip a little longer to make the most of a peaceful place like this. Staying in the good ol' Big 4 helps a lot and this has been the nicest one we have stayed in thus far. We loved the lollies when we arrived and when we left.

Day 3: Port Augusta to Adelaide

 

333km to Adelaide. A Capital City. Traffic, road works, people everywhere. And it is Christmas as well. We settled in and headed to the shops for some supplies and Christmas shopping. We have stayed 2 days in Adelaide and have braved public transport. Caught the bus to Westfield Marion and the tram on the morning of Day 4 to Glenelg.

 

A beach!! We worship the beach. Thanks Kurtis and Elijah for working with me on this one.

My highlight thus far..an old carnival toy called the SS Homebrew. No, Elijah has not got into my homebrew.

Day 2: Coober Pedy to Port Augusta

540km to Port Augusta from Coober Pedy and we find water...wonderful, blue, clean water....I think they call it the Ocean.

We didn't find much to do in Port Augusta.

Road Trip 2011/12. Day 1 Alice Springs to Coober Pedy

Things will be out of place because I will add some more photos of our time in Alice Springs, but as we have already started our trip home, this will be the focus of my posts. I still feel I need to reflect on some things and discuss as much as I can about our time there and my reflections. Belinda will hopefully begin her "Watercloset Chronicles". Something a little light hearted.

On the road to new beginnings. At least we are happy there. 30 minutes before this I couldn't fit everything in the Challenger and I was STRESSED.

First stop, after waving goodbye to Alice Springs, was Kulgera. The last and first hotel in the Northern Territory.

274km from Alice Springs and we run into someone we know! Paul and Teresa Imms and their wonderful daughters. Small world.

688km to Coober Pedy. Where were in car DVDs in my younger days. The road remained unsealed to Coober Pedy until 1987. It is the Opal capital of the world and virtually every shop sells them. No bargains though. Interesting place. You actually feel like you are inside the mines themselves. Thanks to Big 4 Coober Pedy, Johns Pizza and the Druces from Alice Springs who we ran into in the middle of nowhere.

Heading down one of the mines in Coober Pedy that has now been turned into a tourist attraction. We also go through living quarters. Lots of people and hotels are built underground. It is a once in a lifetime experience, I am not really interested in visiting the place again...except for a pizza.

Belinda made it down the mine and caught up with this fellow...Hey, what is he looking at?

This is a hand dug mine shaft. They litter the landscape and some are not covered. They tell you not to walk backwards or walk forwards with a video camera.

Why would I take this photo? This what it looked like for 540km from Coober Pedy to Port Augusta (Day 2)